TAKE ACTION TO SAVE THE US POST OFFICE

By MUUSJN on Friday, August 21st, 2020

Call Your U.S. Rep. on August 21 & 22nd (talking points below)

1- 202-224-3121 (capitol switchboard)

Urge Support for HR 8015, the “Delivering for America Act”
Post Office Funding Bill — Up for a Vote This Saturday
(Click HERE to see if your Representative is a co-sponsor)

Protest on National Days of Action: August 22 & August 25

Click HERE to find a MoveOn Day of Action near you on Saturday, August 22

Click HERE to find a U.S. Postal Workers Union Day of Action near you on 8/25 (Check this link for more events being organized.)

Talking Points:

  1. Mail volume is down due to the COVID-19 pandemic as businesses scale back their mailings. Without help from Congress, the USPS could run out of funding;
  2. #45 admitted that he’s prevented additional funding for the USPS to make it more difficult to handle the influx of absentee ballots he claims are at higher risk of fraud. On 8/18, in response to pressure from many groups, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy ordered a pause until after the election in his disturbing “reforms”, but he did not agree to restore USPO sorting machined or blue mail boxes.
  3. H.R. 8015, the “Delivering for American Act”, will provide $25 billion to provide stability in U.S. Post Service funding;
  4. Urge Your Representative to vote YES on H.R. 8015, the Delivering for America Act.

THE US POST OFFICE IS IN DANGER OF RUNNING OUT OF FUNDS

MAIL HAS BEEN SLOWED DOWN — A THREAT TO OUR DEMOCRACY

The U.S. Post Service is an ESSENTIAL SERVICE:

  • Up until the COVID-19 crisis, the USPS has sustained itself on postage — without taxes;
  • Numerous polls show that the USPS is the most popular government agency;
  • It delivers mail to every address in the country at a uniform rate, unlike other services;
  • The USPS has a diverse workforce: 30% people of color; 40% women; and 18% veterans;
  • People rely on the U.S. Postal Service for life saving medications;
  • Destroying the USPS would throw hundreds of thousands of people onto unemployment;
  • Absentee voting, the safest way to vote in a COVID-19 pandemic, must be protected.

The White House, which has long sought to privatize the USPS, has so far blocked financial relief for the Post Office. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major donor to #45, has large investments in a corporation that competes with the USPS. Not only has the Trump Administration blocked emergency funding for the USPS in the CARES Act, but (in the name of “efficiency”) has started to slow down the mail by dismantling mail sorting machines and blue mailboxes and by ending overtime to assure prompt delivery. Sen. Mark Warner has described DeJoy’s reorganization of the USPS as a “Friday Night Massacre”. The Postal Service early in August warned 46 states that their voters could be disenfranchised by delayed mail in ballots.

On August 18th, after pressure from citizens (including members of Michigan UU Social Justice Network) and elected officials, DeJoy announced he would suspend his controversial changes until after the election. He announced he would “engage standby resources” as of October 1st to “satisfy any unforeseen demand”. However, DeJoy made no mention of restoring the sorting machines or mail boxes already removed. This seems like DeJoy will continue to reduce the capacity of the USPS after the election and before the big holiday season in December.

MORE THINGS YOU CAN DO:

  • If you’ve experience delays in your mail, click HERE to report them Senator Gary Peters, ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security & Government Affairs Committee.
  • Vote absentee 15 days in advance of the November 3rd election — for your safety and for democracy. YOUR VOTE MATTERS!

SOURCES:

  1. “Internal USPS Documents Outline Plans to Hobble Mail Sorting”, Motherboard, 8/14/20,
  2. “Postal Service warns 46 states their voters could be disenfranchised by delayed mail in ballots”, Washington Post, 8/14/20
  3. “Lawsuits Against Trump and Postmaster General DeJoy”, New York Times, 8/17/20
  4. “Michigan will join USPS suit over election concerns”, USA Today/Detroit Free Press, 8/18/20
  5. “Under Fire, postmaster general backs off”, USA Today/Detroit Free Press, 8/18/20
  6. “Post Office Chief Suspends Controversial Changes Until After the Election”, NPR, 8/18/20
  7. “Postmaster should be prosecuted for ‘obstructing’ mail suggests Attorney McQuade”, Detroit Metro Times. 8/17
  8. “Warner Accuses postmaster general of ‘Friday Night Massacre’, reorganizing the USPS.

Category: News |